Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey, 2024
Released: 2026-10-30
At the end of 2024, municipalities and other local and regional government organizations were responsible for over $2.0 trillion of core public infrastructure. The estimated replacement value of wastewater, potable water and stormwater assets accounted for more than half (52%) of the total value of core public infrastructure, while the value of roads, bridges and tunnels accounted for 30%.
Data released today from Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey for 2024 cover the physical condition ratings and estimated replacement values of core public infrastructure owned by all levels of government. This includes almost 2 million kilometres of linear assets and close to 280,000 non-linear assets, with more than four-fifths of each being owned by local and regional governments.
While the condition of roads owned by municipalities improved slightly in 2024 compared with 2022, water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure assets deteriorated. Assets rated in poor or very poor condition used for potable water supply and for wastewater and stormwater management had an estimated replacement value of $124.3 billion in 2024, representing 14% of the total value of these assets and increasing 3 percentage points from 2022. Nonetheless, municipal roads had the highest estimated replacement value for assets rated in poor or very poor condition ($86.6 billion).
Note to readers
Throughout this release, the term "public" refers to assets that are owned or leased by provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments.
An urban municipality, for the purposes of Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey, is a municipality with at least 75% of its population living within a population centre. All other municipalities are considered rural.
Estimated replacement values represent the approximate cost, at the end of the reference year, that would be required to replace the assets, including demolition costs, but excluding land costs and overhead. These values differ from book value (accumulated cost) and measures of gross stock, as they consider current prices (inflation) as well as other factors that impact price at the time of the estimate, including modern construction techniques and materials.
Respondents were provided with the following condition rating scale when asked to rate the overall physical condition of their assets:
- Very poor: Immediate need to replace most or all of the asset. Health and safety hazards exist which present a possible risk to public safety or asset cannot be serviced/operated without risk to personnel. Major work or replacement required urgently.
- Poor: Failure likely and substantial work required in the short term. Asset barely serviceable. No immediate risk to health or safety.
- Fair: Significant deterioration is evident; minor components or isolated sections of the asset need replacement or repair now, but asset is still serviceable and functions safely at adequate level of service.
- Good: Acceptable physical condition; minimal short-term failure risk but potential for deterioration in the long term. Only minor work required.
- Very good: Sound physical condition. No short-term failure risk and no work required.
Contact information
For more information about why the survey was conducted and how it will inform infrastructure policy and program development and investment decisions, please contact Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (toll-free: 1-877-250-7154 or 613-948-1148 or by email at info@infc.gc.ca) or Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Media Relations (toll-free: 1-877-250-7154 or 613-960-9251 or by email at media-medias@infc.gc.ca).
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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